


Today

by lazybug16



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cheesecake, Cuddling, F/M, Flirting, Fluffy, Hurt/Comfort, I hate Gabriel, I hate hate hate hate hate him, I hope Emilie’s a good mum, I just can’t do angst, Kisses, Mentions of Sex, Nino blushing, No Smut, Post Reveal, Season 2, Season 2 spoilers, Video & Computer Games, a bit of foul language, and sexualities (but that’s not NSFW), fluff fluff fluff, it will end happy I swear, laughing and crying, love these two dorks, maybe there will be but just a little?, talking about the future and kids, the Dupain-Chengs are Adrienette shippers, they are 17 here, tikki and plagg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-06-26 08:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15659718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazybug16/pseuds/lazybug16
Summary: After Hawkmoths defeat and reveal, their lives changed; two boys became one, and two girls became one. When Marinette offers help by playing video games, Adrien couldn’t pass up the chance to spend time with his lady and away from that house, that prison. Will this be the start of a blossoming romance, or were they always destined to be just fiends? Both hoped for the former.





	1. "Only with you, my lady"

**Author's Note:**

> Super inspiring title right? lol  
> I spent MONTHS writing this and I'm finally posting it yay!!! Also, English is not my first language, so if there are typos and grammatical mistakes sorry :/ I don’t think there are many so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Hope you enjoy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Today

That was the only thing that was going through her head like a record; on repeat, never stopping.

_Today today today!_

Today was the day that the Ultimate Mega Strike IV world champion (partners division) was going to be decided. She couldn’t believe they’d gotten this far to be honest. Well, she _was_ a very good player but, she applied to the tournament to have fun, not to actually have the chance to win it.

She just wanted to get closer to him, but also help him relax and get his mind of things.

Things like Hawkmoth. Also known as, Gabriel Agreste.

Neither of them expected it.

It was four months ago when Ladybug and Chat Noir faced their enemy for the first, and last time. It was the longest battle they’ve ever had, but like always, they won… sort of.

They won every single battle that had been thrown at them by Hawkmoth, and after three years of fighting akumas, it became easier, it became a routine. And most importantly, they never lost, not once; until the war finally ended. But winning the war came at a price for Chat Noir.

Losing his father.

When Ladybug yanked the miraculous of his chest, and saw him de-transform into the famous fashion designer from Paris, Chat went pale.

He fell to his knees, just a few meters away from Ladybug, and just stared at Gabriel, even though his eyes seemed lost, as if he was seeing right through him. Maybe he didn’t want to believe it, that his father had been the one terrorizing the citizens of his beloved city all this time.

She didn’t want to believe it either, but there was nothing she could do.

That was also the day they found out who they were under the mask. It was mainly her decision, after seeing him so distraught about finding out whom their enemy was and defeating him, she had a gut feeling that he knew their enemy personally.

Boy was that the understatement of the year.

After the police took Gabriel away, Ladybug took a hold of Chats hand and dragged him onto a nearby rooftop, away from people’s eyesight.

Reaching their destination, she held him and looked up into his eyes, and knew that her suspicions were correct. It was written all over his face.

She asked Chat if he was okay, feeling like an idiot after the words left her mouth. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what was running through his head, but she was damn sure it was nothing pleasant. When he shook his head no, she opened her arms, letting him chose whether or not he wanted emotional comfort from her. In less than a second, he was in her arms, shaking and sobbing.

They sunk to the ground, not letting each other go, feeling the heat of the sun disappear as night feel. Chat felt a chill run through him, quite certain it wasn’t because of the wind.

She kept her arms around him, weather they were on his back or in his hair he didn’t care; he just wanted to be with her. He needed to know that someone cared for him, loved him.

Gathering up the courage, he asked.

When he was met with silence he looked up, and saw tears running down Ladybugs cheeks. _“Of course I care about you Chat, don’t ever think otherwise. You’re my best friend, my partner, and I will always, always love you”._ Hearing those words brought a small smile to his lips, feeling a bit better.

It didn’t take the pain away, but her answer made it much more bearable.

After a few more minutes of tears, hugs and pettings, she told him what was on her mind. _“It’s safe now, we don’t have to hide behind our masks anymore”._ The last few hours had been such an emotional rollercoaster he wasn’t even sure he heard her right.

But she reassured him several times that he wasn’t dreaming, that she wanted to be there for him. _“We don’t have to do this Chat, it’s your choice. I just wanted you to know that I’m ready, and that… I would like to be there for you without the mask, i-if you’d like”_

He nodded, not sure what to say. He was actually speechless. His lady wanted to be with him, in their civilian form!

He watched in awe as her transformation fell, and left Marinette Dupain-Cheng sitting before him. _“Hi Chat, I’m Marinette”_ she said, while extending a hand for him to shake. He looked at it, and then at her. He saw a sheepish smile on her lips and he could instantly tell that she was nervous. Nervous about his reaction.

He felt a fresh wave of tears sting his eyes, and pushed her hand away to approach her and crush her into another hug. _“I’m so happy it’s you”_ he said, and felt her instantly relax and hug him back.

Even though this day wasn’t the best, it certainly wasn’t the worst.

_“I guess it’s my turn now”_ he said, fearing that Ladybug might freak out a bit. He knew she wouldn’t blame him, even if he does feel guilty for not realizing sooner that his own father was Hawkmoth.

Ladybug wasn’t like that, Marinette wasn’t like that. But that feeling of being rejected still lingered in the back of his mind. She smiled and squeezed his hand, trying to calm him down. It helped him breathe and relax, and in two seconds, his black suit was replaced by regular clothes.

_“Hi Adrien”_ She said, not looking surprised at all. Then again, for him to have a total meltdown after the fight was really strange. She’s smart enough to put the dots together, and apparently she already had.

_“I’m sorry my lady… I’m so sor-”_ before he could finish, he was engulfed in yet another crushing hug from Marinette. _“Don’t you DARE apologize Adrien, this is not your fault, only his”_ He couldn’t believe he still had tears to shed after crying for hours on end, and yet here he was, with more tears running down his cheeks, leaving salty tracks behind. _“I meant every word I said earlier, whenever you need me, I’m here, day or night”_

His love for her only grew bigger and stronger that day, not even sure if that was possible. But hey, they were superheroes, so he was willing to believe anything at this point.

_“I’m really sorry about your father”_ whispered his partner. He didn’t know how, but he snorted at that. _“Don’t be. Yeah it was a surprise and it’s going to take some time to accept it, but for the last three years he wasn’t my father. I lost him long ago, when my mother disappeared”_

After an hour of more tears, hugs and pettings, they parted ways and went home. Well, that’s what Marinette calls it, as for Adrien, his so called ‘home’ was a house, nothing more.

When he got to the mansion, the police were already talking to Nathalie and his driver, but as soon as they saw him, they rushed over. They said they had some questions about his father, and he obliged as always, answering every question as well as he could. He was still in shock, but remained calm until they had every question answered, expressed their condolences, and left.

As soon as the gates closed, he went straight to his room and transformed, not spending another second in that empty house. He told Nathalie that he wanted to be alone, so he could leave for a few hours without having to worry about her finding his room unoccupied. The Dupain-Cheng bakery was his destination, and in less than a minute, he was on her balcony.

Marinette wasn’t surprised when she heard a knock on her trap door, feeling a little self-conscious in her pyjamas, but nonetheless happy to see him. She let her kitty in and opened her duvet, an open invitation for him to lie down with her. Releasing his transformation, Plagg went to Tikki, leaving the two exhausted heroes alone. It was no surprise that in a few minutes they were fast asleep, feeling warm and safe next to each other.

When she woke up the next morning, she felt Adrien’s arms around her waist and head tucked underneath her jaw, feeling his breath against her neck. He was clearly still asleep, so Marinette didn’t wake him up just yet, just basking in the feeling of his heartbeat against her, evidence that he was a alive and by her side.

The next few nights were like that; him coming over for comfort and her waking up in the morning with gold strands in her face. After a month, he didn’t come over every night, sometimes they would patrol together or she would come over to his room and cuddle in his bed instead.

He said he was getting better these last few weeks thanks to her, which was a relief from her part. That’s why she told him about the UMS IV world champion and asked him if he would partner up with her. He of course said yes, and every week they would get together and beat another couple’s ass on the game, not that it was that hard.

Although, she didn’t think they were going to be the finalists after two months of playing against other partners from around the world.

“Marinette!”

“Ahh!”

She turned around and found a smirking Alya beside her, seeming very satisfied with the little jump she did because of her. She put her hand on her chest, feeling her heart race. “My god you scared the living daylights out of me”

“Sorry girl” Not feeling sorry at all, obviously “You seemed distracted. It wouldn’t happen to be because of a certain green eyed blond model right?” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Rolling her eyes, she tried not to blush because it most _certainly was._ But there was no way she was going to admit it.

With a spring on her step, both girls entered the courtyard and saw Nino sitting on one of the benches near the entrance. Alya sat beside him while she remained standing, knowing they were going to get all cute and mushy like always. She and Nino greeted each other with a casual hey, while Alya had other plans.

“Morning babe” said Nino, kissing his girlfriend’s cheek with hearts in his eyes.

“Morning gorgeous” she answered, knowing full well what was about to happen and loving the pink blush that spread along his cheeks.

“Alyaaaa, you know you can’t say those things out of the blue!”

“Sorry babe” Again, not feeling sorry at all “I just love it when you blush, especially if I’m the one who causes it”

Marinette just groaned. Every single morning was the same; Alya would say something to her boyfriend to make him turn red and get him flustered. And it worked every time.

“Could you guys stop being cute for one second? There are still some single people in school who might just get jealous”

“You and buttercup could also be like this if you both just admitted your feelings” Alya sing-songed.

“W-What!?” now she was the one blushing. _God dammit Alya_

“Oh, you weren’t talking about yourself and sunshine child?”

“Alya I told you, we’re just friends” she said, not even convincing herself “And I like being his friend, I like spending time with him” She knew deep-deep down they weren’t just friends, but they weren’t exactly together either. She didn’t know what they were, but she was happy being his ‘more than friend but not actually dating’. Is there a name for that?

She couldn’t exactly tell her best friend that they were partners who fraught Hawkmoth and saved each other lives on a daily basis, which shows that they were more than friends.

Just then, she heard familiar footsteps approach them “Hey guys, I see you two are already being mushy together, and it’s not even 9 o’clock”

“They get worse everyday”

“Agreed”

The couple stuck out their tongues at them and turned to each other to plan a date night for this evening.

“Sooo… your place tonight?”

She didn’t even try to hide her smirk. “Absolutely. We’re going to annihilate them”

“Totally. If we do win, what are you going to do with the prize money?”

_Here we go again_

“ _Half_ of the price money kitty. The other half is yours” They had this discussion like ten times already.

“But I don’t want it!”

“I don’t care. You can buy… doughnuts if you’d like” Wow, good one Marinette.

“Umm no, because you give me free doughnuts. And croissants, and pain au chocolats, and macarons, and-”

“Well you could go to Disney land!” She interrupted him. “You told me you always wanted to go since you were like 4”

“Oh, I didn’t think of that” she could tell he was thinking about it, and hoped he wouldn’t bring the topic up again (And actually go to the theme park). She went once when she was little with her parents and loved it, and knew he was going to love it too if he went.

The school bell rang, signalling the start of class which no one was looking forward too since it was French literature.

The long hours of the day went by, and after English, Gym and Maths, everyone was pretty much bored, until they finally heard the last bell of the week ring. The students of the school were walking out, feeling free now that the weekend was coming, when Marinette and Alya saw the boys outside already, at the bottom of the stairs.

“Hey guys”

“Hey, ready for our date Al?”

“Of course” She leaned in and gave her boyfriend a kiss. “To the restaurant near your place?”

“Yep, Rose and Juleka told me they might go there too so it’s a double date. You don’t mind right?”

“Not one bit handsome”

Nino’s face went beet red again. “See you guys” she said winking at the laughing beasties who could still hear Nino’s mumbling when they crossed the street on their way to the restaurant.

Their laughs died down, leaving a huge smile on both their faces upon seeing Nino so flustered. “Well, that was certainly entertaining”

“Alya’s one of those who can dish it but can’t take it, so let’s hope Nino retaliates” she said giggling.

He smiled, feeling his heart flutter at the sound and took her hand.

“Just like a certain someone I know” he said before leaving a kiss on her knuckles.  She rolled her eyes like always and retrieved her hand back.

“Oh yeah I know who you’re talking about, he’s blond and has green eyes right?”

He placed his hand over his heart in mock hurt “Who me?”

“Yes you, I remember a certain cat that blushed every time I scratched behind his ears and told him what a good kitty he is”

“Lucky for you, you’re the only one who can scratch my itches. And make me purr too” he said teasingly leaning in, feeling her finger against his nose, pushing him back.

“You’re such a flirt”

“Only with you, my lady” he sent her a wink for good measure and felt his heart clench.

Even though they were friends, they would flirt back and forth sometimes, and every time they bantered, he almost believed that they were something more, that she felt something romantic towards him. But they were just friends, really good friends who sometimes cuddle and end up sleeping together in the most innocent ways; they were ‘more than friends but not actually dating’.

She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the warmth in her cheeks after his last comment.

“So, my place?”

“Huh?”

“Tonight? UMS IV?”

_Right, the tournament_

“Oh yeah, yeah” he said clearing his throat “I prefer your home since its warm and comfy hehe”

“Are you sure it’s not because of the sweets?” she teased him.

“Okay, maybe that too” he laughed. _She could see right through him_

“What time will you come over?”

“Around five? That way we have three hours until the match”

“Perfect, see you soon kitty” she said, placing a small kiss against his cheek and heading home.

He lifted his hand up, still feeling the warmth of her lips against his skin “See you soon, princess” he whispered into the wind, knowing full well it didn’t reach her ears.

\--

“What do you mean see you in two days?” Marinette just stared at her parents with an open mouth, who were filling their car with pastry boxes and a suitcase.

“Honey, we told you that this weekend your father and I are going to a patisserie fair down in Orléans. We told you last week and even asked you to come with us.”

Marinette just stared at them, trying to remember when they had in fact informed her that they were leaving today. “You did?”

“Yes sweetie” said Tom “It was right after you and Adrien finished playing UMS, but you said that the final was going to be today”

Oh, well, she might have been daydreaming about Adri-

Oh god.

_Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god!_

Adrien was coming over today and she was going to be alone with him… for hours!

“Uh maman? You know that Adrien’s gonna come over today, right? Since it’s the final”

If they were going to give her _the talk_ she was going to scream.

“Oh dear, two people who obviously like each other and are teenagers all by themselves for hours” her father said, placing his hand over his forehead “What could possibly go wrong” he finished laughing.

Marinette just groaned into her hands, trying to hide the blush that was currently making her face turn red.

“Marinette your fathers just teasing, we know that Adrien’s a wonderful boy and we trust you two to be responsible”

“Maman, we’re not together. Beside, we’re 17 okay? There is NO way”

“Remember to use protection”

_Kill me now_

“Oh my god, okay bye!”

Giving a quick hug and kiss to her parents, she rushed upstairs to the living room and screamed into a pillow. Tikki couldn’t hold in the laughter anymore and approached Marinette, trying to pry the pillow away from her face.

“Marinette, you know that they’re kidding”

“They want us to get together don’t they? I could see it written all over their face!” She laid down on the sofa and moaned, hoping the sofa would swallow her hole.

“I don’t blame them, you two are really cute together”

“Are you saying that I’m not cute all by myself” she asked Tikki giggling, feeling a little more relaxed.

“You know that’s not what I’m saying. I just want you to be happy Marinette, you love him and he obviously feels the same way”

“No he doesn’t Tikki, maybe in the past, but not anymore. Besides, he might like someone else. Maybe even a boy”

The kwami just sighed and gave her chosen a hug on her right cheek. Meanwhile, Marinettes head was going from one theory to another. “I mean, I don’t know his sexuality, maybe he’s asexual, apothisexual, skoliosexual, aromantic, celibate, maybe he’s repulsed by it, maybe he has philophobia, oh god what if he’s addicted to sex!?”

Tikki decided to stop her rambling before it got out of control.“Marinette pull yourself together!” exclaimed the little god, trying to calm her chosen before she would have a panic attack.

“You can always ask him. Communication is very important, in every relationship”

“You’re right, sorry” she breathed in, and breathed out, trying not to think about it until she talked to him.

“Speaking of, you should probably warn him”

Marinette raised an eyebrow, not sure what the bug was on about. “What do you mean?”

“That your parents aren’t going to be here?”

She grabbed the pillow and screamed once again.

\--

The young model left his bathroom wearing a black T-shirt, sweats, and a towel around his neck, still drying his wet hair. “Okay shower check, brush teeth check, clothes check, do I need to shower again?” He lifted his arm and sniffed “No, I’m fine” He heard a loud laugh come from his desk before a black blob appeared hovering in front of him.

“You are far from fine, you are sweating”

_He’s so screwed_

“I know! I don’t know why I’m so nervous! I’ve been to her house hundreds of times”

Just then, his phone buzzed. He picked it up from his desk and saw that it was a text from Marinette.

**Princess** : _Hey kitty, sooooo my parents aren’t going to be here, they are going to a patisserie fair or something for the weekend_

**Princess** : _Just so you know_

He sucked in a breath, feeling more nervous now knowing that they would be alone. _He is totally and utterly screwed_

**Kitty** : _Are your parents okay with me coming over?_

**Princess** : _Believe me, they are more than okay_

That brought a blush to his face, but felt happy that her parents trusted him so much.

“You better go prepared” said Plagg, after reading the texts.

“I’m already prepared Plagg” he sighed, going into his closet to find another shirt that wasn’t sweaty.

“Uh, hello!? You are going to the love of your life’s house, alone, with no interruptions”

“Yeah, so?” He didn’t get what Plagg was talking about.

“You’ve seen American teenage moves right? I’ve even seen some, which were all disgusting and so predictable by the way”

He found a clean shirt and put it on, thinking about what Plagg said.

“Do you mean like when the boy goes over to her girlfriends house and her parents aren’t there and they- Oh”

_There is NO way_

His face turned scarlet thinking about the situation and stopped that train of thought by shaking his head.

“Those aren’t realistic you know. Besides, I would like to wait until we’re actually dating if we ever do… that”

“Of course, just remember to stop at the pharmacy on your way over”

“Plagg!”

“What? You don’t want kittens any time soon right?”

“Well, not right now but- Plagg that’s not the point, the point is that we are not together. Anyway, even if I asked her out today and she said yes we wouldn’t do… _that._ We’re 17 geez”

With that said, he started packing pyjamas, a toothbrush and spare clothes just in case he was staying over (which was very likely). He double checked everything, making sure he wouldn’t forget anything when he saw what T-shirt he put on. It was a Ladybug shirt, red with black spots with the words ‘Pound it!’.

Marinette was going to tease him, he just knew it.

He finally transformed, ignoring the whine coming out of his kwami, and leapt out of the window on to the nearest rooftop, feeling cheerful and ecstatic that he was going to be with Marinette for hours and eating so yummy much food.

He turned back to see the mansion in the distance. If those walls could talk, they wouldn’t say much at all.

He couldn’t wait to find his own place that he could call home for once. Not so secretly hoping that by that time he and Marinette will be together, and maybe they could buy a place together; their home. But if he was honest, he already felt like that with her, he felt at home. Marinette was his home. 

He finally reached her house and de-transformed in an alley beside the bakery, making his way to the front door. He rang the doorbell, and after a few seconds the door swung open revealing a very flushed Marinette.

“Hi Adrien, come in” she seemed a little out of breath, probably cleaning and preparing for his arrival.

She reached up and noticed her hair was coming out of her ties, so she took them off and combed her hair with her fingers, trying to make it presentable. Adrien very rarely saw her hair down, but when he did, his breath was always taken away by how beautiful she looked. Her ethereal beauty left him speechless, with her dark hair, the bluest eyes he’s ever seen, and freckles dusting her nose and cheeks were just a few things about her that he loved. Put that together with her personality, and who else was he supposed to fall in love with?

“H-Hey Marinette, you look really pretty with your hair down” he greeted her, trying to seem casual.

She blushed hearing his comment, but giggled at how adorable he looked right now with pink cheeks and wearing that smile that was only for her. “Thanks Adrien, love your shirt too” She smirked and headed upstairs to the living room, leaving a really red Adrien Agreste behind.

When he walked in he closed the door and smelled sweets right away.

“Can I smell croissants?”

“Yes kitty, why don’t you leave you bag up in my room and we can eat some with butter and jam. After that we can practice here for a bit if you want and then play the final in my room”

“Sounds purrrfect”

“Oh god already starting with the puns”

“You know you love them”

“Uh-huh, sure, keep telling yourself that”

He laughed at that and made his way up to her room to leave his bag. Once Adrien was upstairs Marinette let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding in.

“I never thought I’d say this, but Tikki, wish me luck”


	2. You want to have three?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff, confessions and cuddling, what more could you want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised myself that I would finish and post this chapter this year, and I succeeded! Yay! I didn’t think it would end up this long; then again, I thought I would have more free time lol 
> 
> 5600 words WoW
> 
> I’m LOVING university so far, my classmates are wonderful and most of my classes are super cool. I’m studying interior design btw, and it’s awesome!
> 
> Again, English isn’t my first language, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are typos/grammatical mistakes. This is mostly dialogue, which is my favourite thing to read, but maybe not to write lol
> 
> I headcanoned that Adriens mums name was Emma, soooo... yeah ;) it's pretty close to Emelie
> 
> Anyway, enjoyyyy \\(*·*)/ <3

The clock in the kitchen showed that the time was 19:20, with both teenagers sitting on the sofa playing UMS, practicing for later, even though they knew they didn’t need to.

Meanwhile, Tikki and Plagg were on the kitchen table eating a whole cheesecake by themselves, made by Marinette earlier. It was one of the things that they both loved; it was sweet, and it had cheese. They were almost finished with their half when another round of cheering and screaming came from the living room.

“They must have won…” Plagg muttered “again”. He didn’t understand why they kept playing when they could be resting or eating or just _being quiet_. “God, what will they do when they _actually_ win?”

Tikki let out a small giggle, shaking her head. “Let them be Plagg, they said this was the last round for today”

“Well you better be right, I don’t want them to sprain their wrists or break their fingers because of this”

They heard faint footsteps and saw Adrien and Mainette approach the table, still laughing out loud and clearly having fun.

“Are you little ones enjoying the cheesecake?”

“It’s delicious Marinette! Like always”

“Aww thank you Tikki” Plagg was too busy eating a huge chunk of his half to answer the baker’s daughter, but Marinette already knew he liked it, otherwise he wouldn’t have even come near the confectionery.

“I also have some macarons for later if you’d like” she said to the kwamis.

“Hey, what about me?” Adrien whined with his bottom lip pouted and big sad kitty eyes.

“The macarons are for everyone silly” she said while scratching under his chin with her finger, hearing a small faint purr come from the boy. “Besides, I made extra of your favourite” hearing that, the blond smiled and clasped his hands together, gasping.

“You made extra? For me?” his eyes were literally shining with happiness, and when Marinette took out the box of said macarons, he picked up one and put the whole sweet in his mouth, moaning and closing his eyes to savour the dessert.

“Nothing beats raspberry flavoured ones, especially if you made them” he said, sending a wink towards his princess. Tikki loved seeing them this happy, and Plagg just wished they’d get together sooner rather than later.

The four of them spent the next half an hour talking and eating sweets, enjoying each other’s company, until it was time for the superhero duo to go upstairs and start to set up the game.

Meanwhile, the kwamis staid downstairs, taking advantage of the fact that there were no adults around to see or disturb them.

It took the gamers about three minutes to prepare everything for the final round, now all they had to do was wait for the other team to go online.

They were waiting for the others patiently and quietly, until Adrien asked something that was on his mind for some time.

“Hey, do you know what time it is for them in Japan?” He looked to his left, waiting for an answer.

“I… didn’t think about that. Hold on” She held up her finger and took out her phone to check the time there. Her eyes widened upon seeing the answer.

“Oh god… it’s three in the morning for them!” she laughed, feeling a little sorry for their opponents.

“Wow, I hope they didn’t fall asleep. Then again, I don’t think they would miss an opportunity like this. And even if they’re not sleepy, we’ll still kick their buts”

“Hell yeah”

Just then, it showed on the screen that they were all online, and in less than thirty seconds, the match began.

\--

“Yes, yes common Adrien!”

“Marinette, watch out!”

“They’re gonna have to do better that that”

“We’re almost there, Marinette use your power!”

“Okay okay, I’ll use it now”

“Attack, shield, and-”

_Team 1 wins!_

“YES!” Marinette and Adrien let out a scream that probably woke up the entire neighbourhood, even if it was only eight thirty.

“Oh my god we won!” She jumped out of her seat and punched the air, smiling and laughing. Adrien joined her, delighted with the fact that they had won and earned a bit of money for... well, whatever they wanted, but nothing made him happier than spending time with his lady.

After calming down a bit, she turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, her smile so vibrant it made Adrien’s heart beat faster. He felt his face heat up feeling her body pressed against his, but returned the hug non the less and laughed with her, cherishing the fact that he can be with her like this.

No more masks, no more secrets.

_Well, almost…_

It was moments like these when he forgot all about his father and his betrayal. It was because of Marinette that he was here, alive and happy. If it wasn’t for her… he didn’t even know where he wold be.

“Adrien? Are you okay?” Her voice pulled him out of his train of thought, lifting his head from her shoulder to look at her. She was frowning, looking straight into his eyes.

“Uh yeah, why?” Her face showed that she didn’t believe him, but didn’t push on it, sighing. “You just hugged me really tight and seemed distracted”

He knows she was serious, but all he could think about was how cute she was. _Dear god, the universe really did send him an angel, who else was he going to fall in love with?_

He cleared his throat and looked to the side. “Sorry, I was just thinking about…uh”

“About?”

_You_

“Food” _Good one Adrien, she’ll DEFINETLY believe that._

She lifted an eyebrow, but her small smile clearly showed that she was amused. “I know you’re lying, but I’m hungry too so I’m gonna let it go” she took a step back and reached for his hands, tracing his miraculous with her fingers. “You know you can tell me anything, right? I’ll always be here for you”

He nodded, feeling a little guilty for not telling her about his feelings, but also feeling warmth and happiness spread through him because of her kindness.

“How about pizza?”

It was Adrien’s turn to lift an eyebrow, making Marinette giggle upon seeing his confused face. “For dinner? Keep up chaton”

_Oh right_

“Oh, okay. I haven’t eaten pizza in a long time so this will be a treat”

She picked up her phone and dialled the number for the pizza place, but before pressing call, she asked what he’d like. He didn’t have a preference, so he just said whatever she liked.

“How about vegetarian? It’s my favourite”

He shrugged, not really knowing what he likes since he hasn’t eaten it often. But since it’s her favourite, then it was his favourite. “Sure, what does it have?”

“Well tomato and cheese of course, and then three coloured papers, onion and black olives, but we can remove or add ingredients”

His stomach literally grumbled when hearing that, the noise traveling across the room. “Well you weren’t lying when you said you were hungry”

He felt his cheeks get warm, but this time he knew it was from embarrassment. “S-Sorry. Can we add tuna? I just really love fish”

 “I wonder why” He’d never seen an eyeroll like that in all his nine lives. And with that sorted, she pressed call.

\--

In the end, Marinette ordered a large vegetarian pizza, knowing that between the two of them they would finish it without a problem, and added tuna only on half of it for Adrien. When she said she wasn’t a fan of tuna or fish in general, the model literally gasped, shocked that she could say such a thing. But he forgot all about it when the pizza arrived and devoured it in ten minutes flat.

“That was amazing!”

They were in her room, sitting on her pink flower carpet with an empty pizza box in the middle, while Adrien was licking his fingers clean.

“I take it you liked it” She was still on her last piece when Adrien gushed about the crunchiness and flavour of the pizza, lying down on her floor with his hands placed on his stomach.

“I loved it! We have to eat it more often”

_How could her partner be so adorable?_

“Maybe we could make it a weekly thing?”

He turned towards her, a small smile gracing his lips and a rose colour dusting his cheeks. “I’d like that”

The two kwamis were up on her bed, observing their chosen and exasperated that they were still oblivious. They thought that the reveal would speed things along, but it didn’t seem like it.

“I can’t take it anymore” grumbled Plagg “Tikki, hold my tail” Without looking away from the lovebirds, she reached for his tail and pulled, not letting Plagg go while he _‘tried’_ to escape.

“Plagg, you can’t tell them anything, they have to figure it out themselves” she sighed, remembering all the times that they went through this with previous holders. Plagg still growled and floated forwards, trying to escape and scream at the two. If that didn’t work, his plan B would be to clonk their heads together.

After a minute he stopped and relaxed, plopping down on the blanket, his kitten ears pointing downwards. Tikki frowned, feeling the pain from her other half. “Plagg-” “I can’t stand it Tikki, they’ve been in love with each other for two years, and after knowing who their partner is they still won’t confess”

Tikki approached Plagg and hugged him, trying to calm him down. “I don’t want it to happen again…”

With those words alone, Tikki knew what he was talking about. The last Ladybug and Chat Noir were also in love, but before they could confess or even reveal themselves, they were both killed for the miraculous. Not by a villain or akuma, but by a crazy man with a gun who wanted their jewellery.

They stayed like that for a bit, bundled up in each other’s little arms for emotional support.

After a few minutes, they heard Marinette and Adrien come back into the room. They were downstairs preparing hot chocolate and croissants to snack on before going to bed.

Both gods moved out of the way and onto the little bed Marinette made for them a few weeks ago, letting them pass and go out onto the balcony in the dead of night.

\--

“So, what are you going to do?”

Leaning on the balcony railing with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands, Adrien looked to his left, right into a pair of bright blue eyes.

“I know what you’re thinking. And no, I _am_ going to keep the money” she seemed surprised at this, thinking that he would still insist on her taking it.

“What changed your mind?” she sipped the chocolate, checking if it’s still hot, but found it pleasantly warm.

“I already know what I’m going to do with the money” he took a croissant from the plate on the small table beside them, taking a bite from the delicious, buttery pastry.

“Which is?”

Adrien shook his head, clearly having no intention of telling her. He smirked, amused upon seeing her cute little pout.

“Why can’t you tell me?”

Instead of answering, he took another sip of his delicious drink, trying and failing to hide his smile.

“Adrien!” she swatted his arm, hoping it would make him talk.

Unfortunately, it didn’t. It just made him laugh and lift up his hand to rub his abused arm.

“I forget how strong you are bug. Don’t worry, you’ll know soon enough”

 _I hope_ he thought.

“What about you?” He asked, trying to steer the conversation away from him.

“Buy fabric, lots and lots of fabric” she answered without missing a beat.

“I assume you already have a design in mind?” he couldn’t wait what she wanted to bring to life, all of her designs where stunning, and this one wouldn’t be any different.

“Yep, had it for a while now” she smirked and looked away towards the Seine, knowing that if she looked into those kitten eyes, she would cave and tell him her idea.

“How’s the chocolate?”

“Delicious as always, princess”

She snorted, remembering the first time he called her that. It was so long ago, right at the beginning, when she was stil trying to figure things out.

They stayed there in silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company. They were looking out into the beautiful river view, hearing faint music coming from a nearby restaurant, when Marinette suddenly felt an arm wrap around her back. She felt his head rest against hers, hearing a content hum come from the boy.

Her face went from normal to a blushing mess in less than two seconds, thinking about what her next move should be.

In the end, she mirrored him and wrapped her arm around him and rested her head against his shoulder, feeling him relax once she was closer.

They stayed out there for a few minutes, just holding each other, looking out into the distance and drinking hot chocolate that they made earlier. It was at around ten when it started to get chilly and both decided to go in and change into their pyjamas.

Marinette was excited to see what that dork had brought to wear tonight, she wouldn’t be surprised if he brought a T-shirt with an anime character or a cat pun.

But that thought left her mind once she saw what he was wearing.

She had just changed into her Chat Noir pjs when he came up from the bathroom downstairs… in Ladybug pjs. Before she could comment on his attire, he laughed.

“Looks like I’m not the only superfan, my lady”

A high-pitched squeal came from her before she could stop it, hiding her face behind her hands out of embarrassment.

“Clearly not” she muttered, trying to regain her composure in front of her crush. She separated her fingers, taking a quick look at the red clad boy again, and felt her heart rate go up.

_That goddamn smirk, I should wipe it off his face with a kis- wait, no! No, bad brain! We’re not like that!_

“Hey” He was suddenly in front of her, prying her hands away. “If you want, I can change. I brought another set just in case these clothes made you uncomfortable”

_He- He really thought that…_

“No! No no that’s not it! It just took me of guard a bit, I wasn’t expecting you to wear…” she gestured to all of him “that”

He laughed, feeling the tension ease away “Well, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw you in these. I’m very flattered, my lady” He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles “I think my colours suit you”

“Ha, thanks. Y-You too” she walked pasted him and up the stairs that lead to her bed, signalling him to follow and hoping against all odds that he didn’t see her blush.

_How many times could a mortal human being blush in less than an hour!? She was sure she had beat some kind of record._

“Are they a Marinette Dupain Cheng original?” he asked, amusement evident in his voice.

“Yep, all of it” she answered proudly, even thought she was a little flustered.

“Even the socks?”

She looked down and read the MEOW that was written across them, smiling at the memory when she came across them online.

“Uh, no. The socks aren’t mine” He nodded, not sure what else to say.

They reached her bed and sat side by side, leaving just a few centimetres of space between them, an uncomfortable silence weighing between them. That’s when he saw a small Chat Noir plushie on her pillow.

“How much merch do you actually have?”

“S-Sorry?”

He leaned forward and picked the plushie up, examining it.

“O-Oh, that. I made that a while ago, alongside Ladybug and a few akumas” she said while looking at pictures that were hanging on her bedside wall. They were various pictures of her friends, family and “Ladynoir” as Alya called them.

“I’m thinking of doing the new heroes too”

“Even Queen Bee?” he asked raising an eyebrow.

“Thought I don’t like Chloe, Queen Bee is still a hero, just like Rena Rouge and Carapace. I think that becoming a hero will help her become a nicer person, if that’s even possible”

He snorted, hoping that she was right.

“Could I…” he trailed off, not sure if he should ask.

“Yeah?”

“Could I pay you for a Ladybug one?”

He was waiting for an answer, but instead he heard her giggle.

“I thought you already had one, chaton” she knew full well that Adrien had a bunch of Ladybug stuff thanks to Plagg.

“I’m never going to give that little rascal cheese ever again”

She laughed. “Then you wouldn’t be able to transform, and then what?”

He tapped his chin, thinking. “I would commission you to make me a superhero outfit”

“Yeah right”

Their conversation continued on, about everything and nothing; they talked about superheroes, then school and then the future.

Adrien wanted to be a teacher, but he was probably going to be the CEO of Gabriel fashion, even thought he wanted nothing to do with it. He was thinking of selling it to pursue what he actually wanted, not something his father wanted.

“What about you? I’m guessing you want to study fashion and be a fashion designer”

“Yeah, since I was little. That’s all I ever wanted to do, design and create. I’m sure I’ll get accepted into the university that I want, but the thing that I have to decide is weather I go by transport every day, or get a place nearby”

Adrien was thankful that he didn’t need to think about that.

“I know I’m going to move out as soon as I turn eighteen. No way I’m staying in that house a second more than I need to”

“We could get a place together”

_WHAT_

“What?”

_Oh my god where the hell did that come from!?_

“W-Well, I uh…”

He was speechless, just like she seemed to be. Never in a million years did he think that Marinette would suggest such a thing.

“A-Are you serious?”

She picked up on how his voice went up, signalling that he was nervous.

_Was she serious?_

_Yes, she was._

“Why not? Our universities are close and that way we could afford rent together” His brows furrowed, clearly deep in thought about her plan.

“I-I mean, we don’t _have_ to, it was just a proposition-”

“Yes”

“And anyway, I rather live with you than a random person I don’t know-”

“Yes”

“Plus, we could sneak out for patrol without having to worry that our roommate might find out-”

“Marinette!”

She took a deep breath, now realising that she was rambling and not taking oxygen in. Adrien’s hands were holding hers, trying to stop them from shaking.

“I said yes”

Eyes widening, her mouth hung open.

“You mean…”

“Yes, I’ll live with you”

“You will?” she asked smiling.

“Yeah. I-I mean, everything you said makes sense, and I think it will be a lot of fun. We can stay up all night playing video games and we could eat whatever we want!”

“That was not the point about us moving in together”

“Potato, potato” He said, pronouncing them differently.

“You’re such a spoiled kitten” she whispered, laughing.                                                                         

“But I’m your kitten”

That’s when it changed.

She felt a pricking sensation in her heart because of those words, those words that were both true and false at the same time. Platonically, they were as close as they could get, but her heart wanted more. Every time he said something like that, her chest would get tighter, and tighter, and tighter… and it was getting harder to breathe.

She was sick of it, she needed fresh air.

“Uh, Adrien”

“Yeah?”

_This was it_

“I need to tell you something”

_This is when everything changes_

\--

 _Oh no, she looks serious_ thought Adrien.

She closed and opened her mouth a few times, with no words coming out. After a while, she shook her head and took a deep breath.

“Adrien, I’ve been meaning to tell you something for a while… and I think it’s best if I tell you now because I can’t bare another second without you knowing”

_Oh god, is she…?_

“Well, I’m only hoping it’s something good” he said with a nervous laugh and scratching the back of his neck, trying not to get his hopes up (and failing).

“Ha, well, I guess it depends on your reaction and feelings”

_She is. It’s happening now_

“You can tell me anything Marinette” He rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles, thinking it would calm her. He saw a small smile grace her lips, which made his heart rate go up.

She looked down and took another shuddering breath. She then stared into those beautiful green eyes, and without breaking contact, she finally said the words she’d been dying to say from the first day they meet.

“I love you”

And that’s when everything stopped. In that moment, it was just her; her smile, her eyes, her warmth and her heart. Everything was her, and only her.

“You… You love m-me?”

She smiled, that beautiful radiant smile that was only for him. “With all my heart”

He felt a wetness start to gather in his eyes, sensing that if he didn’t get it under control, in less than a minute he would be crying his eyes out.

“As in, more than a friend” she clarified with a cough, she didn’t want this to go horribly wrong because there was a misunderstanding.

The damn broke. He felt tears run down his cheeks, feeling nothing but happiness.

“You love me?” he asked again. He felt a pair of warm hands cup his cheeks, thumbs rubbing under his eyes, getting rid of the salty water that was cascading down his face.

“I do” It was now that he realised that she was crying too. He took hold of one of her hands and brought it near his lips, leaving a kiss against the palm.

“I can’t believe this is happening. Am I dreaming?” He realised that her hands were shaking, probably because she had yet to hear what he felt. So, before she could think of every worse case scenario, he finally put her heart at ease.

“I love you” Upon hearing that, a happy sob and hiccup joined in her crying, a bit overwhelmed by the outcome. It just seemed to good to be true. He let go of her hands and placed his on her waist, lifting her up and moving her onto his lap.

She immediately brought her arms around his neck and gave a bone crushing hug, while his were around her waist and torso. “I love you so much, my lady”

_Ah, that. That was the other thing that was eating her alive…_

“S-So, you don’t like me just because I’m Ladybug r-right? Your so-called soulmate?” She was sure that Adrien wasn’t like that, that he loved her because she was Marintte, not because she was a superhero and his other half. But everyone had their insecurities, and she just needed to know if his heart was in the right place.

“You know what I think?” He whispered into her hair, before feeling her head shake no.

“I think that you and I, we were chosen for a reason. I remember the day when I got the miraculous; it was right after I helped Master Fu, who at the time I thought was just a random civilian. He also did a similar test with you, to see if you were willing to put your life in danger in order to save others, even if it’s just one person”

She nodded, signalling him to continue and that she was listening.

“It was a test to see if we were already heroes without the mask and superpowers, because that’s who we are; heroes, even as Marinette and Adrien. The miraculous only gives us special abilities and a colourful suit… the bravery, kindness and selflessness, comes from us. That’s what it takes to be a hero, and we both fit the profile”

She sniffed, feeling a bit better after crying and getting everything out. She then hummed, agreeing with what he was saying.

“The point I’m making, is that there are about two million people in Paris, so anyone could have been chosen. If you hadn’t been chosen to be Ladybug, then I wouldn’t be Chat Noir, because we were already soulmates, way before we got our miraculous”

He kisses the top of her head, and lifted her chin up, making sure that she understood and believed everything he was about to say.

“And if that were the case, I would have fallen in love with Marinette Dupain Cheng, an extraordinary girl with an amazing life, because _you_ are my soulmate Marinette. Always have been, and always will be”

By the time Adrien finished, she was looking straight into his eyes, and all she could see was love. Love for her.

She didn’t know what to say, but she knew what to do. She grabbed his ladybug patterned shirt and pulled him forward, crashing their lips into a searing kiss.

He let out a squeak, not expecting her to kiss him. Don’t get him wrong, he wasn’t complaining one bit.

He closed his eyes and kissed her back, trying to pour all the love he had for this girl into the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist once more, pulling her chest against hers, leaving no space between them and tangling his fingers in her silky midnight hair.

A soft purr could be heard from the boy, making Marinette giggle and stop the kissing. “You’re such a cat!” She placed her hands were his Chat ears would be, imagining how he would react if she touched them.

He had an adorable blush covering his cheeks, a cute smile accompanying it “Yeah, well, now I’m officially your cat” he said shyly.

Marinette was going to burst from the cuteness if he continued to be like this “Nobody should be aloud to be this adorable” Before he knew it, she grabbed him and pulled him onto the bed, placing her head under his chin and kissing his neck.

“Hahaha Marinette! That tickles!” he complained, even though he was laughing while saying it.

“Sorry” She said giggling, nor feeling sorry at all.

He started to purr again, only this time it was louder. “I love your purr, it calms me down” she hugged his torso tight, feeling his purr vibrate all over her body.

“I’m glad princess, but I hope that that’s not the only thing you love about me”

“Of course not kitty, but it certainly is a plus. And since were going to live together don’t expect me to sleep in another bed after finding out about this extra feature of yours” she was obviously teasing, but he couldn’t help but picture them living together and sleeping in the same bed, cuddling. Maybe he could make her breakfast in the morning, or be her model for her designs. Either way, he knows they will be happy, and that’s all he wants in life, to be happy.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Her question brought him back to reality, as she was curious as to what distracted him for a full minute.

“Just thinking about us living together and our future” he said without missing a beat, realising a second later what he had said.

_Our future…_

“Oh my god Adrien! You can’t just say things like that!” Marinette whined, pressing her face into his chest.

Maybe he should feel embarrassed, but all he felt was glee. “Why not? Like you’ve never thought about stuff like that”

“O-Of course I have” came her muffled voice “I’ve thought about lots of things when it comes to the next few years”

“Such as?” he scooted backwords to look at her face, trying to decipher her weary look.

“Promise you won’t laugh?” she asked with pleading eyes.

“Cross my heart” he said while doing just that.

“I already named our three kids”

He felt his heart skip a beat, or maybe it was seven. That statement made him into a puddle of goo filled with emotions. _She has names? Names for our kids!?_

“You’re perfect” He had a lovesick face on, not even trying to hide his adoration for her. He then noticed that she had a scowl on her face, instead of a smile.

“That was _not_ what I wanted to say” She said through puffy cheeks.

“You want to have three?” He rubbed her back, praying that she would give more information than that. What does someone do after hearing the love of their life admit that they’ve named their kids? Scream? Jump with joy?

“W-Well…” She looked away, trying to avoid his piercing gaze. “I would _like_ to have three. I mean, life doesn’t always turn out to be as you planed” She suddenly had a devious idea and smirked “I never expected to be a ladybug themed superhero who wears spandex and has a black cat partner who is a dork” she finished by taping him on the nose.

“Hey!”

“What, you don’t think it’s spandex?” Her smirk grew, seeing him taken aback by her response. He obviously didn’t expect it, but he recovered almost immediately by showing a smirk just like hers.

“Well, I know mine isn’t”

“It looks a bit like leather to me”

“Nope even better, boyfriend material”

She blinked and burst out laughing, holding her sides. “Oh my god that was _terrible_!” he held her waist again and brought her close, leaning his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes, basking in the warmth from the body next to him.

“I always wanted a big family” the fondness in his voice was unmissable, and definitely heart-warming.   

“Well, if you play your cards right, you might have one” She said running her hands through his hair “And I might even let you name one of them”

“But I might already like your choices”

“You don’t have any names in mind?”

“Uh…” He hesitated, wanting to know her choice of names first.

“Oh my god you do! Tell me!”

“Ladies first”

She made a huffing sound, but didn’t want to argue more “Fiiiiine. For the boys, it’s Hugo and Louis”

“Hugo and Louis…” he hummed, thinking over about the names “I like them” He really, really liked them. “So, two boys and a girl?”

“Yep” She was glad that he liked the names, hoping that he would like the girl one too.

“And the girl’s name?” he asked enthusiastically. He already had his daughter’s name picked out since he was seven, but he wanted to know Marinettes choice first.

“It’s u-uh… it’s Emma”

_No…_

_There- There’s no way…_

“Emma?”

_How is that even possible?_

“Yeah, why? Oh god, you don’t like it? We can change it-”

“That’s my name” he whispered, thinking Marinette wouldn’t hear it.

“What?”

“That’s what I wanted to name my daughter, ever since I was little”

“Really?” It was quite a coincidence that they both wanted to name their girl Emma.

“How did you choose that name?” he asked curiously, because _seriously, how in the hell did they choose the same one!?_

“I read it in a magazine. There was an article about a woman who was named Emma, I can’t remember her surname, but I remember reading things about her and she seemed like an amazing person. There were various pictures of her, and there was one with a little boy on her lap. I think it was her son? Oh, I believe that she was an-”

“Actress” Her eyes widened, taken aback by Adriens knowledge.  

“How did you know?”

“It was my mum” he laughed at the absurdity of the situation. “You wanted to name our daughter after my mum, and you didn’t even realise it” This was ridiculous.

“Wait, so that little boy…”

“Was me”

He thought that receiving the miraculous was a miracle, an open gate to freedom. But after this, he was sure that miracles happened more often than once, because the thought of the love of his life picking the exact name that he chose, was damn near impossible, and yet, here they were.

“Hugo, Louis and Emma, our future family” His smile could only be described as giddy, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from screaming. Maybe Ladybugs luck was rubbing of on him.

 

 

“All we need now is a cat!” Marinettes expression quickly changes into one of horror than of delight.

“Deal breaker, how about a hamster?”

She was lucky he loved her so much, and that he liked hamsters too. “Sounds perfect”

She smiled and grabbed the blanked that was bunched up on their feet, bringing it up and covering them with it. He kissed her forehead and pressed his cheek on her temple, so much happiness running through his veins than he thought possible. “I love you, Marinette”

_She was his happiness_

She made a content hum and kisses his cheek. “I love you too, Adrien”

_She was his family_

\--

Tikki and Plagg smiled, looking down on them and seeing how in love and peaceful they finally seemed. It looked like this time the story would have a happy ending, and the two little gods wouldn’t want it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might do an epilogue where Adrien reveals what he did with the money? And what Marinettes design is too? I have an idea but Idk, if enough people like it I might write it (I have a few other wips, one that I’m quite excited about sooo)
> 
> Hope you liked it, if so plssss leave kudos and comments (I don't answer them because I honestly don't know how. I just get really overwhelmed, and I want you all to know that I read them ALL THE TIME. They make me super happy <3)   
> Thanks!!! 
> 
> Lazybug out
> 
> Ps. I’m still crying after season 8 of Voltron, but She-ra helped me through it :) (It's sooo GAY) also New Amsterdam, love it

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing the second chapter but it's going to take a while, and I want it to be as long as this one so no idea when I'll update. 
> 
> And in about 3 weeks I start university, but I'll try to finish it before then. I won't abandon this story becuse I really like it and I already have an idea where this story will go.


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